


Four Shorts

by kisahawklin



Series: Alexander drabbles and shorts [4]
Category: Alexander (2004), Alexander Trilogy - Mary Renault
Genre: Childhood, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-28
Updated: 2004-12-28
Packaged: 2017-10-14 07:35:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/146909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisahawklin/pseuds/kisahawklin





	Four Shorts

_Dream_

Hephaistion felt sleep steal upon him, wound in Alexander’s arms, drunk from wine they had stolen. His thoughts broke apart and re-formed as the boundaries holding them to conscious thought wore away.

Breath became color and heartbeats tasted like salt. He clutched Alexander, wanting to stay but unable to stop the slip of his fingers from Alexander’s cheek and the tremor of his legs as they started to fall away.

"Alexander," he cried, but the name lodged in his mouth, couldn’t get out because it was too wide and caught in his cheeks.

_The bull stood silent on the plain, looking at Hephaistion with its slow, stupid eyes. He wanted a daimon of intelligence, or at least beauty, but no, his was an animal with no use but to mate and be eaten._

Hephaistion felt something shift under the diaphanous curtain of the dream and realized such was his purpose.

_Drenched_

Hephaistion sat up, drenched in sweat. He and Alexander were still entangled and his sudden movement had tumbled Alexander’s head down to rest in his lap.

Hephaistion gasped and covered his mouth, worried he had woken his friend. Alexander shifted and grasped Hephaistion’s thigh for a pillow. Hephaistion felt his stomach lurch and suddenly he needed to run, or scream, or be alone just for a moment.

He wriggled and shifted but Alexander only clung more tightly to his leg. He pried Alexander’s small, firm fingers from his thigh but Alexander rolled over and looked up at him, eyes sparkling.

_Dust_

Hephaistion’s eyes narrowed and he brought his knee up, just missing Alexander’s chin and effectively dumping Alexander in a heap on the ground. He stood up and ran, taking advantage of Alexander’s surprise because Alexander had always been faster than him.

He ran amongst the buildings, puffs of dust kicking up from his bare feet. He ran, unsure if Alexander was following, half his heart hoping he was, half his mind hoping he wasn’t.

He stopped suddenly, his confusion drained by his sprint. He leaned forward and breathed heavily and was not surprised when he heard Alexander’s footfalls behind him.

_Surrender_

Alexander approached Hephaistion cautiously, placing his hand gently on Hephaistion’s shoulder. Hephaistion turned to him, covering Alexander’s hand with his own. Alexander tilted his head at the tears in Hephaistion’s eyes, and Hephaistion smiled in spite of himself.

"Why?" Alexander asked simply.

"Because I am always yours," Hephaistion answered, and the truth settled on him with a crushing certainty, sweet and painful. "Always yours," he whispered.

"Do not be sad, Hephaistion," Alexander comforted as reached his thin arm up and wiped the tears from Hephaistion’s eyes. "We belong to each other. It is not a sacrifice. It is a communion."


End file.
